Chicken pox is caused by a virus. This virus is related the herpes virus and is called varicella-zoster virus. Children between the ages of five and ten are most susceptible to this virus. However, once a person has had chicken pox, his body produces antibodies against it so that the person cannot have chicken pox again even if exposed to the virus (of course, there are always exceptions).
It is very contagious if you have not already had chicken pox as this virus may spread if you are in close contact with the patient, by coughing and sneezing. Skin to skin contact may also cause a person to develop chicken pox from a patient. The symptoms develop about 10 to 21 days after exposure to the virus. This is known as the incubation period of the virus.
When a person has chicken pox, he/she develops lesions on the skin. At the time when the disease is at its peak, people may have up to 300 lesions all over the body.
This virus tends to produce only mild symptoms in children (slight fever, sore throat, lack of appetite etc) but if an adult develops chicken pox, there might be quite a few complications like pneumonia, secondary skin infections, encephalitis, and rarely hepatitis, kidney damage, and intestinal ulcers.
It is very contagious if you have not already had chicken pox as this virus may spread if you are in close contact with the patient, by coughing and sneezing. Skin to skin contact may also cause a person to develop chicken pox from a patient. The symptoms develop about 10 to 21 days after exposure to the virus. This is known as the incubation period of the virus.
When a person has chicken pox, he/she develops lesions on the skin. At the time when the disease is at its peak, people may have up to 300 lesions all over the body.
This virus tends to produce only mild symptoms in children (slight fever, sore throat, lack of appetite etc) but if an adult develops chicken pox, there might be quite a few complications like pneumonia, secondary skin infections, encephalitis, and rarely hepatitis, kidney damage, and intestinal ulcers.
